Fantasy Basketball 2016: Position Rankings, Team Names for Upcoming NBA Season

While not quite as ubiquitous as fantasy football or even fantasy baseball, basketball has an ever-growing fantasy community.

Whether it’s DFS or season-long games, the NBA’s rich pool of talent has helped grow the game. What other form of basketball-related entertainment would you rather build around players not named Stephen Curry or LeBron James? Depending on who is doing the rankings, there are two or three players ranked ahead of the world’s two greatest players.

Much like fantasy baseball, hoops is about building your most well-rounded roster. Taking Dwight Howard in the 10th round might sound like a great idea, but you can kiss your free-throw percentage goodbye if you’re combining him with the likes of Andre Drummond, DeAndre Jordan or even Ben Simmons.

With that in mind, here’s a look at top-20 player rankings for each position, along with some analysis. 

Breakout Candidates D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are the Western Conference’s worst team on paper. But removed from the shadow of Kobe Bryant’s goodbye season and separated enough from the Nick Young/Iggy Azalea fiasco, D’Angelo Russell could be in line for a huge numbers boost.

The former Ohio State standout quietly had a solid rookie season, averaging 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He flashed an innate ability to create shots for himself off the dribble and coming off screens, and the Lakers will have a far more open offense this season under head coach Luke Walton.

Replacing Byron Scott with a cardboard cutout of Phil Jackson would have been an improvement; Walton should be a godsend for Russell after watching Curry and Klay Thompson grow the last couple of years.

Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Milwaukee Bucks

A lot of attention has been heaped upon Giannis Antetokounmpo in the preseason after his post-All-Star surge, and rightfully so. Antetokounmpo looks like …

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